Transcripts

Text transcript of 9/22/09 radio actuality.

This is Congressman Ike Skelton.

Our nation has reached an important moment in our efforts to bring stability to Afghanistan.

As the President assess the direction he will set for Afghanistan, I wrote a letter to him expressing support for the Afghanistan counter insurgency strategy he endorsed last March.

I believe the President set the right goal when he called for the defeat of the al Qa'ida terrorists and for preventing their return to Afghanistan. I believe that General McChrystal has the right plan and that he is the right man for the job. In addition, I believe that we must give our commander in Afghanistan the resources and time he needs to successfully accomplish this task.

Our nation must succeed in ensuring that Afghanistan, which is the epicenter of terrorism, cannot again be used as a breeding and training ground for al Qa'ida terrorists and other terrorist organizations. We must succeed in order to continue to protect the American homeland and to preserve our leadership around the world.

Coming from Harry Truman country, I ask myself, "What would Harry Truman do?"

And, this leads me to urge the President to waste no time in providing a clear direction to our commanders and civilian leaders, along with the resources necessary to achieve their mission. And, to do so with an understanding that the American and Afghan people, as well as our allies, must see progress in the next 12 months.

This is Congressman Ike Skelton.